Donald Trump’s victory could shake up public health, agriculture and food in the United States, since the former president would have promised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – notorious anti-vax and conspiracy theorist – a key position in these areas .
Published at 12:48 a.m.
Updated at 5:00 a.m.
Vaccines
RFK Jr.’s fight against junk food does not impress Julien Cavanagh, a neurologist at Emory University in Atlanta who published an open letter sounding the alarm about the influence of Donald Trump’s ally on public health .
“He is anti-vaccine, underlines the Dr Cavanagh. Even if he has good ideas about nutrition, that doesn’t stop him from being anti-scientific. »
The possibility that Donald Trump will appoint an anti-vaccine person to head the public health agencies of the US government, at the request of RFK Jr., worries the Dr Cavanagh at the highest point.
“During the pandemic, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo refused to recommend COVID-19 vaccines. Fortunately, we had the federal recommendation. But if we no longer have the federal recommendation, vaccination rates may fall. »
Media reports said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suggested to Mr. Trump that the Dr Ladapo be appointed Secretary of Health, underlines the Dr Cavanagh.
Animal Rights
Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is very optimistic. “We think that RFK Jr. will be sensitive to our demands to end animal experiments, because of his opposition to the pharmaceutical industry,” she commented in an interview. And he is against ultra-processed food. This includes cold meats distributed in our schools and hospitals. »
PHOTO TAKEN FROM PETA’S SITE
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk
Last spring, Mr. Trump invited the owner of a vegan cafe to perform on stage in Milwaukee. The Republican leader said he had to “try” this way of eating. PETA then sent him a basket of vegan products including Oreo cookies, a guilty pleasure of the former and future president.
“We expect a meeting with RFK Jr. shortly,” says Mme Newkirk.
The Trump-JFK Jr. alliance could allow the Republican Party to win points with vegans and animal rights activists, traditionally Democrats. “The left has not embraced animal rights,” says Sparsha Saha, a Harvard University political scientist specializing in the “politics of meat.” “It was considered unacceptable when many minorities face discrimination. This electoral clientele is available, and neither party takes care of it,” she explains.
Could Republicans win over PETA members? “There are animal rights defenders on both sides,” replies Mme Newkirk. At the Republican convention, there was a vegan food truck that was very successful. There was a long line. »
Environment
RFK Jr.’s presence is amplified by the vegetarianism of the Indian-origin wife of Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance. The future vice-president said he liked vegetarian dishes.
“Donald Trump’s specialty is to appeal to a neglected identity of a traditionally Democratic clientele,” explains M.me Saha. For example, Latinos are traditionally Democratic for religious reasons and social class reasons. Trump has managed to appeal to many Latino men by appealing to their traditional conception of masculinity. It could do the same thing for people who have unusual diets, such as vegetarians and opponents of big food companies. Some do it for the environment, but others [le font] because they want to return to ancient traditions, for animal rights, or for medical conspiracy. »
Those who embrace vegetarianism to fight climate change probably won’t be won over by Donald Trump, but others might be.
Soil regeneration and masculinism
The Trumpist seduction operation for the fight against junk food benefits from two societal trends: “soil regeneration” through the return to small-scale pre-pesticide agriculture, and masculinism, which elevates the male body to temple rank.
“Members of the Walton family, heirs of the founders of Walmart, are very active in financing soil regeneration projects, cattle that only eat grass, fields without pesticides or fertilizers,” says M.me Saha. This is seen as good for the planet, even if, in practice, it means that we will need more agricultural land because yields will be lower. »
Donald Trump’s machismo also finds an echo in the desire to have a healthy body of certain masculinists, according to the Harvard political scientist. “These masculinists will spend a lot of time discussing their healthy diet, which they blame for their virile bodies. »
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- 0,5 %
- Proportion of Michigan voters who voted for RFK Jr., who was unable to remove his name from the state’s ballot after interrupting his presidential campaign in August to support Donald Trump
Source : NBC
